Does the timing matter for cleanliness? Dr. Goldenberg says that for most people, there's nothing inherently wrong with showering in the morning, at night or both.
According to sleep experts, one of the ways our bodies signal to us that it's bedtime is a drop in body temperature, and taking a hot shower or bath right before bed can actually raise your body temp, disrupting this signal and your night's sleep in the process.
“Showering in the evening removes all the impurities that have built up on your skin throughout the day – oil, dirt, sweat are the main culprits," she says. "Removing these impurities can be easily done by performing a deep cleanse whilst in the shower, meaning you go to bed with clean, fresh, and clear skin.
The researchers theorize that warm water stimulates blood flow to the hands and feet, which allows body heat to escape more quickly. A recent study of older adults also found that taking a hot bath one to three hours before bedtime helped them fall asleep faster.
Your skin will also appear more refreshed after a morning shower. Our skin cells relax overnight and are then stimulated by the water, prior to encountering any dirt, debris and free radicals from the outside world. This is particularly significant for acne-prone or oily skin.
There's also reason to believe that a nighttime shower can improve your sleep quality as it raises the temperature of your skin, allowing for a faster cool-down." As long as you try to avoid sleeping with wet hair, an evening shower is probably going to be a good idea.
Benefits of Showering in the Morning
Another benefit to morning showers is that you cleanse yourself of any night bacteria. Research shows that humans tend to sweat more at night than in the morning. A quick morning shower can help you feel less sweaty.
But only 25.3% to 32% of us actually do it. That's pretty low, especially when research has shown showering or bathing before bed helps you sleep better. View Source and longer each night.
In general, showering every other day or every few days is enough for most people. Keep in mind that showering twice a day or frequently taking hot or long showers can strip your skin of important oils. This can lead to dry, itchy skin.
Many doctors say a daily shower is fine for most people. (More than that could start to cause skin problems.) But for many people, two to three times a week is enough and may be even better to maintain good health.
The best amount of time to spend in the shower is about ten to fifteen minutes. That's plenty of time to get everything you need to do done. And about that hot water - super hot water can be very drying to the skin, probably because it strips even more of the skin's natural oils away.
A hot, steamy shower can relax your muscles, wash away stress, and... put you to sleep, right? Actually, according to Dasgupta, it does the opposite. While it might seem counterintuitive to take a warm, relaxing shower to wake up, it might just work.
This may happen for several reasons, including heat sensitivity, the energy it takes to perform a simple task like this, how your nerves respond to the water flow, and even an abnormal drop in blood pressure.
Dermatologists recommend keeping showers relatively short (around 5-15 minutes) so you don't dry out your skin. However, if you're washing and conditioning your hair, shaving your legs, or just trying to relax and unwind, it might take a bit longer.
This depends on the length of the shower taken and the type of head on the shower. The average shower duration is approximately 7 minutes and the average shower volume is approximately 55 litres.
Rinsing off every day can remove odor-producing oils and bacteria from your skin, says Jeffrey Benabio, M.D., Physician Director of Healthcare Transformation at Kaiser Permanente. But guys who don't perspire much can afford to go 2 to 3 days without showering, says Dr. Kiripolsky.
You'd smell
Unsurprisingly, a person would develop quite a funk after 365 showerless days. Rokhsar said your stench likely would come as a result of the bacteria and dead skin accumulating on you. After a year, he said, you'd have a build-up of skin stratum corneum, or dead skin on top of your skin.
Cold showers can help reduce inflammation, relieve pain, improve circulation, lower stress levels, and reduce muscle soreness and fatigue. Hot showers, meanwhile, can improve cardiovascular health, soothe stiff joints, and improve sleep.
While there is no ideal frequency, experts suggest that showering several times per week is plenty for most people (unless you are grimy, sweaty, or have other reasons to shower more often). Short showers (lasting three or four minutes) with a focus on the armpits and groin may suffice.
Ideally, when you stop sweating profusely in about 20-30 minutes you can take a shower right away. So next time you feel the urge to jump right in the shower, remember to give yourself time to dry off your sweat and cool down.
The oldest accountable daily ritual of bathing can be traced to the ancient Indians. They used elaborate practices for personal hygiene with three daily baths and washing. These are recorded in the works called grihya sutras which date back to 500 BCE and are in practice today in some communities.
A cold shower — even just for a few minutes — can work as cold therapy to help you heal, recover and generally feel good, especially after exercise.